Daily Deals: Historicals,mysteries, YAs, fighters and more

So I’m sharing a couple Amazon only deals today because I felt that they may interest some of the readership. Lauren DeStefano’s book is the first in a series. Honor Reclaimed is a historical but I heard that there are triggers in the book but I couldn’t find anything concrete.

Practice to Deceive by Ann Rule. $ 2.99

From the Jacket Copy:

With more than 50 million copies of her thirty-four books in print, from The Stranger Beside Me, her chilling personal account of knowing Ted Bundy, to fourteen hardcover books— including Small Sacrifices; Green River, Running Red; and Too Late to Say Goodbye—and sixteen collections in her #1 bestselling Crime Files series, Ann Rule is without a doubt “America’s best true-crime writer” (Kirkus Reviews). In Practice to Deceive, her first book-length investigative chronicle since In the Still of the Night, Rule unravels a shattering case of Christmastime murder off the coast of Washington State—presented with the clarity, authority, and emotional depth that Rule’s readers expect. It’s a case with enough drama, greed, sex, and scandal to be called “The Real Housewives of Whidbey Island,” but this was not reality television. This was murder: pure, cruel, ugly, and senseless. And someone had to pay the price.

Nestled in Puget Sound, Whidbey Island is a gem of the Pacific Northwest; accessible only by ferry and the soaring Deception Pass Bridge, it is known for its artistic communities and stunning natural beauty. Life there is low-key, insular, and the island’s year-round residents tend to know one another’s business. But when the blooddrenched body of Russel Douglas was discovered the day after Christmas in his SUV in a hidden driveway near Whidbey’s most exclusive mansions, the whole island was shocked. A single bullet between his eyes was the cause of death, but no one could imagine who among them could plot such a devious, cold-blooded crime. At first, police suspected suicide, tragically common at the height of the holiday season. But when they found no gun in or near the SUV, Russel’s manner of death became homicide. Like a cast of characters from a classic mystery novel, a host of Whidbey residents fell under suspicion.

Brenna Douglas was Russel’s estranged and soon-to-be-ex wife, who allowed him to come home for a Christmas visit with their children. The couple owned the popular Just B’s salon. Brenna’s good friend Peggy Sue Thomas worked there, and Brenna complained often to her that Russel was physically and emotionally abusive. Peggy Sue’s own life has been one of extremes. Married three times, hers is a rags-to-riches-and-back-again tale in which she’s played many roles: aircraft mechanic, basketball coach, the “drop-dead gorgeous” beauty queen as a former Ms. Washington, Las Vegas limousine driver, million-dollar horse breeder, wealthy divorcée. But in 2003, her love affair with married guitarist Jim Huden led the two Whidbey Island natives to pursue their ultimate dreams of wealth and privilege—even at the expense of human life.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will’s dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She’ll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

PW writes “The prose in adult romance author Jordan’s YA debut is solid, and there’s no reason these star-crossed, cross-species lovers should be any less popular than their vampire and werewolf counterparts, which makes Jacinda’s lack of independence all the more disappointing.”

**As a special thank you to my fans, we’re offering Fighting For Irish for only $2.99 for the first 2 weeks of release!**

Former MMA fighter Aiden “Irish” O’Brien hasn’t stepped into the ring since he accidentally took someone’s life in the heat of rage. When his friend calls in a favor that sends him south to check on family, Irish figures he’s got nothing to lose. His life is on the ropes. The least he can do is make sure the sexy redhead is safe.

Kat MacGregor has forty-eight hours to settle the twenty thousand dollar debt her deadbeat ex-boyfriend owes a crime boss. If she doesn’t, she’ll pay for it—with her life. Kat’s halfway out the door when a sexy new guy walks into the bar and insists he’s there to help.

Irish is forced to fight in the underground MMA circuit to win the money she needs. But he’s been lying to Kat. About who he is, about knowing her sister, about why he comes home bruised every night. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him, but breaking her trust will cost him the most important fight of his life: the one for her heart.

I’m doing a fist pump today because I almost bought this on the release date and then refrained. It was released a week ago.

This is a 17,400-word novella, the sensual prequel to Striking Distance (I-Team Book 6). It ends with a cliffhanger.
Just a weekend…
Laura Nilsson knows what she wants: a successful career as a broadcast journalist—and a little fun between the sheets now and again. What she doesn’t want is marriage or kids. When a ripped and sexy stranger intervenes to stop a couple of drunks from harassing her in a hotel bar in Dubai City, all she can think about is spending the rest of the weekend with him—in her bed. There’s just one little problem. Unmarried sex is illegal in Dubai.
… of no-strings sex …
Navy SEAL Javier “Cobra” Corbray is on his way home from a rough deployment in Afghanistan when he finds himself having dinner with “the Baghdad Babe.” What she wants from him—sex with no strings—could land them both in prison. Still, he’s more than happy to oblige her. She’s confident and sexually assertive, and he’s secure enough to lie back and let her make the first strike. But, as she’s about to find out, he’s more than her match.
… or the beginning of something more?
Yet, neither Laura nor Javier has any idea what lies ahead—or how this weekend of mind-blowing sex will impact their emotions. Will they act on their new-found feelings in time, or will they let something special slip away… perhaps forever?
Warning: This story ends with a cliffhanger.

This is a novella deal sent in by Kim. As she notes, while it is only a novella it’s a way for readers to get acquainted with her writing. Note that it ends in a cliffhanger as a lead up to a full book release.

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Jane Litte is the founder of Dear Author, a lawyer, and a lover of pencil skirts. She self publishes NA and contemporaries (and publishes with Berkley and Montlake) and spends her downtime reading romances and writing about them. Her TBR pile is much larger than the one shown in the picture and not as pretty.
You can reach Jane by email at jane @ dearauthor dot com

I love love love Ann Rule. I would read her books all the time. Her backstory is so interesting too because she worked w/Ted Bundy but never knew until he got arrested. And I think that might have sparked her interest in crime fiction to understand how the guy she worked with could be a serial killer. Jane. I think you would really really really like her.

So the “special thank you” was paying 3x as much for the book? Nice. And it appears the new price is publisher driven, as it’s not listed as a sale or discount (so it’s not Amazon giving fans the middle finger). I just don’t understand what publishers are thinking anymore.

Just a clarification: Ann rule writes non-fiction. The Stranger Beside Me and Small Sacrifices (about Diane Downs, the hella-crazy woman who decided killing her children would be a good way to get a boyfriend’s attention) are chilling to read.

@Lada: While each book can be read as a stand-alone it is a connected series and you’ll probably get more out of them by knowing the back story on the side characters. Having said that, I feel First Strike/Striking Distance would be the best one to read without having read the others in the series. I will also add, while all her books are 4 or 5 star reads for me, I enjoyed the previous I-Team books more only because FS/SD touches on a few heavy topics.

I hear you. There are several books I want and the prices seem good now, but they would be preorders, so I’m waiting. The publishers have taught me to wait a few weeks to see if the price goes down before I buy. It’s killing me to wait, but I’m holding firm since I have been burned several times with prices dropping within a few weeks.

@ Elyssa Patrick Anne Rule was a true crime writer before Ted was revealed to be the killer, actually. She had published a number short stories (is it a story if it’s non-fiction?) in True Crime Magazine and weirdly enough had actually gotten a contract to write about Ted’s murders before the killer was known. As far as I know she does not write mysteries or any fiction. She used to be a police detective if I recall correctly. She’s a very interesting person, and the way she draws you into her books without overly sensationalizing the crimes is wonderful.

The Brazen Special Editions go for $3.99. So the $2.99 was the discounted price. And that was posted on their Facebook feeds as a “gift to fans”. My friend thought she was getting a good deal. Until this 99 cent special showed up. She checked to see if she could return the book at Amazon and get the reduced price, but of course the 7-day return policy had expired if you purchased it on release day. She’s not happy and has since cancelled all of her standing pre-orders for Brazen books.

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